Empowerment & Networking

This project seeks to collaborate on knowledge exchange and gaining more insights into the needs of people with impairments and disability to enable them to contribute to their community through the production of art and craft artefacts. This first network phase will be about building connections between those involved in inclusive crafts development within SAFOD and their counterparts in the UK in relation to best practice for inclusive crafts.

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The Global Disability Innovation Hub

The Global Disability Innovation Hub will assist in the dissemination of knowledge about the culture and heritage of communities in Southern Africa (SA) and begin a dialogue with disability groups and crafts people in the UK and SA about pathways to enable inclusive crafts to flourish in SA communities.

Awareness Raising

The aim of this network proposal is to raise awareness within the communities of Southern Africa of the value of their cultural heritage and provide insights into how these may be expressed through inclusive crafts, leading to sustainable economic development.

Exchange Learning Opportunity

This project will will facilitate communication between individual crafts people, disability support groups in Southern Africa Regions and the UK. The mixed methods approach will enable discussion and exchange of knowledge, skills, techniques, values and cultural perspectives around inclusive craft design and making.

The Niche that is Tourism!

We seek to connect the artists with disabilities with tourists visiting the Region. Researchers, commentators and Government offices from Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa have all expressed similar aspirations for the development of cultural and heritage tourism.

Pathways to impact

The integration of individuals with disabilities into their communities through arts, craft and design will have a significant impact on their way of life. This will be achieved through reframing the value of individuals in generating income for their family and wider community; resulting in enhanced status..

Academic Beneficiaries

There is value for researchers working in the wider field of anthropology, social sciences, arts, crafts and design to be able to review the mixed methods approach for eliciting needs and aspirations for these individuals and groups within the context of specific communities (urban/rural) in Southern Africa.

Latest Works of Art/Crafts

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Key Partners on this Unique Project!

We are proud to have a chance to work with such result-oriented, innovative, and creative artists with disabilities in Southern Africa, and to promote their works. We keen to help linking them with artists in the UK and create a platform for networking! Through our partnership between SAFOD, Loughborough University and Aston University, we are geared at collaborating with more stakeholders and new partners on this project. Stakeholders working with artists with disabilities in Southern Africa or UK, please feel free to contact us to discuss partnership opportunities!

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As soon as I saw your service, I was impressed by the uniqueness of your concept. This will lead to a significant improvement for disabled artists in your region.This is incredible!

Tina White

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This project is just fantastic! It will give the much needed exposure for disabled artists. I would recommend this this to any disabled artists.

Ngeyaka Kamwi

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You project delivers something really valuable. It’s going to be something that will bring joy to people with disability in arts and crafts if well delivered.

We are open to new ideas. You can write us anytime, and we will reply as soon as possible. And we are also glad to find new potential partners on this project. Write us, and we will find the way to be useful to each other!